The Portland Timbers midfielder scored two goals as the Timbers tied their rivals, the Seattle Sounders, 4-4 at Providence Park in front of a crowd of 20,814.

“It was special to score two goals on my birthday, but to win the game would have been a greater satisfaction,” said Chara, through an interpreter. “We have to keep working hard until we do that.”

The Timbers led the Sounders by two goals heading into the final five minutes of the match, but couldn’t hold on to the win. Five games into the season, Portland has yet to post a victory.

Still, the Timbers’ offense, which has looked out of whack for the majority of the season, finally clicked Saturday.

And Chara was a big part of that.

“He’s missed some chances over his career,” Timbers coach Caleb Porter said. “For him to smack two goals from the top of the 18 is a real positive.”

The Timbers fell behind in the 3rd minute when former Timber Kenny Cooper got open in front of the goal and found the back of the net.

It would have been easy for the Timbers to let the early goal demoralize them, but Chara breathed life back into his team with a goal of his own.

In the ninth minute, Chara stole the ball from a Seattle defender, dribbled to the top of the box and smacked a low shot into the corner of the net to tie the game up at 1-1.

The midfielder, who had recorded just two previous goals in his career and hadn’t scored since 2011, then gave the Timbers the lead in the 55th minute when he found the ball around midfield and dribbled toward goal before blasting a long shot into the far corner of the net.

“I think it was the best game for him,” Timbers midfielder Diego Valeri said. “He’s very important for us. I think he’s one of the best players on this team.”

Chara has been a mainstay in the Timbers’ lineup since joining the squad in 2011. While the midfielder prides himself on being a hardworking and physical ball winner on the field, his worth on the pitch doesn’t usually show up in the statistics.

But on Saturday, Chara said the Timbers had great chemistry on offense and he was able to read the game and find space to score both goals.

“He never gets the headlines or credit, but he’s always a good player,” Timbers captain Will Johnson said. “Everybody who understands the game at the highest level understands what an important player he is.”

In the locker room after the match, Chara was excited to go home and celebrate his birthday with his wife and two daughters. But while it was a special day for Chara, the midfielder said he would still have traded his two goals for a win.

“I feel good, but obviously I’m not completely happy with the game,” Chara said. “We should have won that game. To score two goals, for me, is good but I’d rather see a win.”